Buddy Guy

B.B. King, whose scorching guitar licks and heartfelt vocals made him the idol of generations of musicians and fans while earning him the nickname King of the Blues, died late Thursday at home in Las Vegas. He was 89.

David Letterman’s “stupid human tricks” and Top 10 lists vaulted into the ranks of cultural acclaim Sunday night as the late-night comedian received this year’s Kennedy Center Honors with rock band Led Zeppelin, an actor, a ballerina and a bluesman.

Years after playing a Washington newspaper reporter, Dustin Hoffman is returning to the nation’s capital to share an honor with David Letterman — who appears surprised at how culturally important his Top 10 lists have been.